HIS SCENT IS A MOON LIT LIE

Chapter Nineteen

Elara's POV

For a long moment, everything stood still in utter and absolute silence.

My feet remained rooted to the same spot, right in front of the ruined doorframe. Not to mention, the house smelled of old paper with a hint of something butter.

The air felt tense, thick, like it remembered my dream before I did.

Even with the dream as a warning, nothing could have prepared me for this moment.

Grandpa’s dog lay on the old wool carpet, stiff and painfully still.

My hands trembled as I reached for my phone. I should have dialed 911- that was the reasonable thing to do but I didnt. Instead my thumb scrolled to Maya's contact and I hit the call button.

"Hey Elara, what's up?" Her cheerful voice echoed through my phone speakers.

I gulped a lump down my throat, swallowing words before they could form. Silent screams tangled in my throat and all that remained was the look of horror fixated on my face.

"Elara? Are you there?" She asked again.

"I-I.." My voice cracked, barely above a whisper.

My breathing became hitchedthe words stumbled out.

"Maya, you need to see this."

"See what? Where are you Elara? I thought you said you were going to visit your grandfather."

"You need to come see this yourself, I will text you my grandfather's address." I mumbled and hung up immediately.

I hastily sent the address to Maya and shoved the phone back into my pockets.

Maybe the real reason why I called Maya instead of calling the police was not because I needed emotional support but because it felt like I was still stuck in a dream and calling the police would make it real.

Within minutes, Maya arrived but surprisingly, she was with Ethan too.

"Oh my goodness!" Maya whispered, her arms were folded tightly across her chest as she stepped over broken frames.

"Elara, what happened here? This looks like a total mess."

Ethan's sudden grip pulled me backward, away from the chaos.

He cupped my chin and stared into my eyes. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" His tone was laced with concern.

"My grandfather." A whisper escaped from my mouth, unsure if my voice could hold. "He-he... He is not here. I have called, I have checked everywhere. He is gone and his dog is..." I trailed off.

"I know, just breathe okay?" Ethan's voice remained calm, low and focused.

His hands reached for my shoulders and he squeezed them gently. "I will call the cops, they should know exactly what to do but do not worry, your grandfather is going to be okay, they will find him."

I nodded, even though I did not feel my head move. My mind was practically stuck on the image and with my dream constantly flashing in my head like a puzzle piece refusing to fit, it all felt like a message.

Maya stayed close, arms around me, until the police arrived.

Two male officers proceeded to take photos, they asked me some questions I could not fully answer because I was still dumbstruck by the incident.

One of them shrugged as his eyes carefully examined the house. "Looks like a standard burglary. Probably scared off before they got far."

I wanted to argue. Nothing felt standard about this. Not the dog, not the eeriness, not the way my chest tightened with each step I took inside the house, not the dream.

I nodded still, they offered to drive me home and Ethan and Maya chose to tag along.

The moment we arrived, my parents rushed out the door, panic written all over their faces

"Elara!" My mum cried out. Pulling me into her arms and gently rubbing my back. "What happened baby? Are you hurt?" The way she touched my skin, it was like she could feel the danger on me.

I shook my head. "I-I... I'm fine, I'm okay."

"Go inside sweetheart, we will talk to the officers." Dad said.

I nodded my head and sluggishly dragged my feet into the house, although I could not help but eavesdrop on their conversation.

The officers explained everything they saw and I could not help but sneak glances at my mother, she had this look on her face like she was trying to solve a riddle only she understood .

Perhaps, did she know something?

When I heard my mother suggest to talk further in the living room with the police, I hastily climbed the stairs with Maya and Ethan quietly behind me.

We shut my bedroom door behind us and sat on the bed, still trying to process all that had just happened.

Lorien poked his head in, his brows pulled together. "Hey, you okay?"

"Better than before." I mumbled in a dry tone.

"I heard mum and the police talking, they said it was burglary." Lorien said.

I shook my head in disbelief. "It is not, it does not feel like it is."

Lorien frowned. "Just let the cops do their job." He paused to grin and wave at Maya before rushing out of my room, fast enough to avoid my reaction

Maya and Ethan tried to get my mind off it. They threw in a joke or two even though they didn’t land but I appreciated the effort.

All of a sudden, there was a soft knock on the door, it was mum.

"Elara.." she spoke quietly. "There’s someone..."

My heart skipped, I knew it was him by his scent.

Jordan

Why was he here?

"Elara..." Mum's voice jolted me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

I hesitated, then stood. "Let him in."

The door opened and there he was.

His eyes locked into mine and his movements were swift, before I could say anything , he closed the distance between us.

Jordan wrapped his arms around me tightly, he pulled me into him like he never wanted me slipping away.

"You're okay." His whisper echoed into my ears.

And for a small, fragile moment,

the world finally felt quiet.

And safe.